Jonesborough

Jonesborough, town, seat of Washington county, northeastern Tennessee, U.S. It lies just west of the northern portion of Cherokee National Forest, near Johnson City. Founded in 1779 as a planned community and named for Willie Jones, a North Carolina politician, it is the oldest town in Tennessee. The state of Franklin was organized there by settlers after North Carolina ceded their lands to the federal government. Jonesborough was designated the capital and John Sevier the state’s first and only governor; the capital was moved to Greeneville in 1785. The state of Franklin soon disintegrated. The Emancipator, one of the first abolitionist ... (100 of 166 words)